TOKYO (AP) — Japan will inoculate a group of health workers on Wednesday as it belatedly begins a massive coronavirus vaccination drive, with progress depending on the availability of vaccine supplies from Europe. Taro Kono, the Cabinet minister tasked with the vaccine mission, considered crucial Japan’s hosting of the Olympics this summer, says he is determined to obtain special syringes that can get six doses from a vial instead of five. On Sunday, the government formally issued the country’s first COVID-19 vaccine approval, for shots developed and supplied by Pfizer Inc. that have already been used in many other countries since December. Japan fell behind after it asked Pfizer to conduct special clinical tests on Japanese people to address safety concerns.
